Plasticman is quite legitimately the lamest Justice League member EVER! OK, he actually has
a legitimate superpower. But look at it this way. He is like Mr. Fantastic without all that fancy
super science and genius mind.
This rant started off with a conversation that took place between my buddy Gary and myself
at work. He took the position of Batman and I took the position of Superman in an imaginary
argument about inducting the bubblegum jerk into the Justice League of America. It went
something like this:
Superman: Now that Diana has finished reading the minutes of our last meeting we can move on
to new business. First off we have some membership applications here I would like to put on the
table.
Batman: Clark. What the fuck are you doing?
Superman: What?
Batman: I saw the picture paper clipped to that file.
Superman: I am sure I don’t have any idea what you are talking about.
Batman: Look. We have had this discussion before. Plasticman is not Justice League material.
The guy is a freakish mix between Elvis, a spooky clown and a beach ball. I mean come on!
This is the Justice League!
Superman: Bruce, we can’t really sit here and pass judgment on people with legitimate
superpowers who want to use them for the benefit of others. He could prove useful in the future
and I for one don’t think we shouldn’t rule him out.
Batman: Can’t pass judgment? Can’t pass judgment? The dude runs around in a private jet with
a blonde bimbo and a fat Hawaiian guy as sidekicks chasing after bank robbers like some kind
of balloon animal Scooby Doo. We have to draw the line somewhere. Sure, I can let Aquaman
slide. Just in case we have to do some shit underwater, but I am drawing the line at this guy. He
is a joke and I know from jokers.
Superman: I don’t understand what the problem is. He is neigh indestructible. He can take on
just about any shape we can imagine. He regenerates. He can alter his color AND he is immune
to telepathic control. These are legitimate superpowers. You know…. superpowers. Not to
point any fingers at some people who don’t have any superpowers at all.
Batman: I will end you pretty boy.
Wonder Woman: Easy fellas. Let’s not get our panties in a bunch. But, Clark, I’m going to
have to side with Bruce on this one. This guy is fucking clown shoes and you know it. How are
we going to be taken seriously with this guy around? Look at what he is wearing! Paris Hilton
sunglasses, a dance leotard with lacing on the chest and no friggin pants. Hell even I got sick
of the pantless thing after a while. He is like that really weird European guy at the beech with a
speedo. EWWW!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Write up for Show 005: Free Form Gaming or Lair of the Goblin Warlord Part 4
Lair of the Goblin Warlord Part 4: Free Form Gaming
The title is a trick. Actually you have all of the elements you need to take the Lair of the Goblin Warlord to a free form game in the three previous write ups.
You have the characters, the locations, the relationships and the major plot points. If you were so disposed you could use that to start a game that could last for years in a free form environment.
The meat of this write up is to help those who are interested dip their toes, and maybe go in up to your waist, in the river of creativity that is free form collaborative story telling.
The list of tools tools that can help get you started are as follows:
The Creative Whack Pack: A business resource that is actually cheaper new on Amazon than used. http://www.creativewhack.com/product.php?productid=64 and http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Whack-Pack-Deck-Book/dp/0880795433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322715421&sr=8-1
Mad Scientist University from Atlas Games at www.atlas-games.com
Toon from Steve Jackson Games http://www.sjgames.com/toon/
The Amber Diceless system, out of print, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Diceless_Roleplaying_Game
Over The Edge from Atlas Games at www.atlas-games.com
The Creative Whack Pack
A business tool from the 1990's to help deeply entrenched corporate drones raise their heads out of the lifeless muck that was their daily job and be more creative.
The Whack Pack has a book but the cool factor is from a deck of cards that gives you a nice allegorical lesson and then a question. The question asks you to enact a spontaneous implementation about the lesson or to share how you would do so.
I am assuming that your spirit is not as broken as a firmly entrenched corporate slug in the 1990's but the Creative Whack Pack gives you the 'whack on the side of the head' to shake off your shyness and to look at things from the crooked angle that is creativity.
Mad Scientist University
Another card game with more game this time than happy lessons on cards. Each player is dealt cards with phrases on them and in turn plays two of their phrases and then explains how they would use the phrase on the card to take over the world. After each player has gone once all players vote on who they think had the best idea.
Why is this a creative exercise? Please explain why your laundry soap with sheep pheromones is better at taking over the world than my penguin powered orbital mind control laser.
This game can get you past the reach of your usual silliness and let you freely express yourself creatively in roleplaying games.
Toon
If you have EVER been a child of any sort of description you know a great deal of cartoon physics and how cartoon characters behave themselves provided you were exposed to television in your youth. If you were NOT exposed to television while growing up this is the PERFECT way to see how people who did wasted a lot of time and really enjoyed it.
Toon is a simple game with quite simple mechanics that demands you act in a silly and creative fashion while you fight, zip, smarts, and chutzpah your way through the simulated plots of your own personal cartoons.
Using the basic rules of the game and basic rules of the cartoon plot Toon can help you extend yourself into a realm where the impossible is quite common and creativity is at times your only advantage.
The Amber Diceless System
Though out of print this game is a genre of roleplaying all by itself. The idea of using no dice to resolve conflict was and largely is still a novel idea.
The wikipedia write up can cover the whats and wherefores of the game much better than I can but I will tell you this one thing. With enough time to yourself in this game it is possible for anyone to do anything. Based on Roger Zelazny's World of Amber which itself is based on a fusion of magic and quantum physics and ultimate possibilities this is one creative springboard that you should not miss. Hit EBay and used book stores to find this truly golden grail of creative roleplay.
Did I tell you that my first con was an Ambercon? Yep. It was.
Over The Edge
Another offering from Atlas Games. Dude. This is to games what the Creative Whack Pack is to 1990's corporate wage slaves. I would consider myself a person who played roleplaying games before I picked this one up but not a roleplayer.
The rules including character creation are one page of this 240 page book. Everything else is background and specific methods to make your game cooler to play.
The first question in character creation is "If you could be anything what would it be?". Game runners are told to reject answers to that question if that anything is trite or passe. Why be a sparkly vampire if you could be a mail box with an IQ of 250 or a time travelling ectomorph that only speaks 31st century French? You are given the sky. Think big.
Even more fun with Over The Edge? Could it be more fun? YES!! We used to play this game in conjunction with the On The Edge card game, a sister product from the same studio, and flip the cards to see what the group encountered next. On the way to drop off or pick up the ransom money? Deal with a rain of technicolor walrus while in a car chase with flying giant sentient cockroaches. Live through that and you are a ROLEPLAYER.
Conclusion
These are some games and products that have helped me to loosen up and get ready for free form roleplaying fun.
The title is a trick. Actually you have all of the elements you need to take the Lair of the Goblin Warlord to a free form game in the three previous write ups.
You have the characters, the locations, the relationships and the major plot points. If you were so disposed you could use that to start a game that could last for years in a free form environment.
The meat of this write up is to help those who are interested dip their toes, and maybe go in up to your waist, in the river of creativity that is free form collaborative story telling.
The list of tools tools that can help get you started are as follows:
The Creative Whack Pack
A business tool from the 1990's to help deeply entrenched corporate drones raise their heads out of the lifeless muck that was their daily job and be more creative.
The Whack Pack has a book but the cool factor is from a deck of cards that gives you a nice allegorical lesson and then a question. The question asks you to enact a spontaneous implementation about the lesson or to share how you would do so.
I am assuming that your spirit is not as broken as a firmly entrenched corporate slug in the 1990's but the Creative Whack Pack gives you the 'whack on the side of the head' to shake off your shyness and to look at things from the crooked angle that is creativity.
Mad Scientist University
Another card game with more game this time than happy lessons on cards. Each player is dealt cards with phrases on them and in turn plays two of their phrases and then explains how they would use the phrase on the card to take over the world. After each player has gone once all players vote on who they think had the best idea.
Why is this a creative exercise? Please explain why your laundry soap with sheep pheromones is better at taking over the world than my penguin powered orbital mind control laser.
This game can get you past the reach of your usual silliness and let you freely express yourself creatively in roleplaying games.
Toon
If you have EVER been a child of any sort of description you know a great deal of cartoon physics and how cartoon characters behave themselves provided you were exposed to television in your youth. If you were NOT exposed to television while growing up this is the PERFECT way to see how people who did wasted a lot of time and really enjoyed it.
Toon is a simple game with quite simple mechanics that demands you act in a silly and creative fashion while you fight, zip, smarts, and chutzpah your way through the simulated plots of your own personal cartoons.
Using the basic rules of the game and basic rules of the cartoon plot Toon can help you extend yourself into a realm where the impossible is quite common and creativity is at times your only advantage.
The Amber Diceless System
Though out of print this game is a genre of roleplaying all by itself. The idea of using no dice to resolve conflict was and largely is still a novel idea.
The wikipedia write up can cover the whats and wherefores of the game much better than I can but I will tell you this one thing. With enough time to yourself in this game it is possible for anyone to do anything. Based on Roger Zelazny's World of Amber which itself is based on a fusion of magic and quantum physics and ultimate possibilities this is one creative springboard that you should not miss. Hit EBay and used book stores to find this truly golden grail of creative roleplay.
Did I tell you that my first con was an Ambercon? Yep. It was.
Over The Edge
Another offering from Atlas Games. Dude. This is to games what the Creative Whack Pack is to 1990's corporate wage slaves. I would consider myself a person who played roleplaying games before I picked this one up but not a roleplayer.
The rules including character creation are one page of this 240 page book. Everything else is background and specific methods to make your game cooler to play.
The first question in character creation is "If you could be anything what would it be?". Game runners are told to reject answers to that question if that anything is trite or passe. Why be a sparkly vampire if you could be a mail box with an IQ of 250 or a time travelling ectomorph that only speaks 31st century French? You are given the sky. Think big.
Even more fun with Over The Edge? Could it be more fun? YES!! We used to play this game in conjunction with the On The Edge card game, a sister product from the same studio, and flip the cards to see what the group encountered next. On the way to drop off or pick up the ransom money? Deal with a rain of technicolor walrus while in a car chase with flying giant sentient cockroaches. Live through that and you are a ROLEPLAYER.
Conclusion
These are some games and products that have helped me to loosen up and get ready for free form roleplaying fun.
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